So Gourmet Is Relaunching As An iPad App

Yesterday, The New York Observer's John Koblin reported that Conde Nast would this morning be making some sort of announcement about extending the brand of Gourmet, the beloved food magazine that the company folded last October.

Some tweets are coming in from the press briefing, and it looks like the big news is that Gourmet will be relaunching as an iPad/e-reader app called Gourmet Live.

@womensweardaily says: Gourmet Live launching from Conde Nast, a reimagining of the brand. Will have cooking, travel. Attempt to attract new readers, via the ipad.

"One of the best loved names in food reimagined as a new technology experience," boasts an explanatory video.

It will be available starting in "the fourth quarter of 2010."

Media and foodie types alike were rather shocked when Conde shuttered Gourmet rather than Bon Apetit in a round of cuts last year. Given the relative outcry Conde faced over the decision, it's no surprise the company is trying to revive the brand.

UPDATE - And here, via @koblin, is what former Gourmet editor-in-chief @ruthreichl thinks of it: "Re: Gourmet; they're reviving the brand, not the magazine.Pity."

Koblin also points out that Reichl's name was not mentioned during the briefing and that much of Gourmet Live's content will come from the magazine's archives..

UPDATE 2 - Here's the press release:

CONDÉ NAST TO LAUNCH GOURMET LIVE, A UNIQUE DIGITAL CONTENT PRODUCT TO ENGAGE USERS IN A NEW WAY

NEW YORK, June 22, 2010 – Condé Nast will introduce Gourmet Live, an entirely new digital content product, it was announced today by Charles H. Townsend, President and C.E.O. of the company. Gourmet Live is an immersive and interactive content experience built on an ever-expanding collection of articles, menus, photos, videos and more, encouraging social connectivity and sharing, and game play. It brings together branded high-quality content, social and location-based technology, as well as monetization structures new to Condé Nast, like virtual currency, that are typical in digital economies like gaming.

“By focusing on a new way to meet consumer needs, tap into our deep branding, and approach our content differently, we came up with a product that reimagines Gourmet and revalues engagement,” said Townsend. “We are extremely pleased with the magazine apps we have developed as part of our R&D efforts, however Gourmet Live is profoundly different. We approached this like a tech company, utilizing the rich assets of a media company, keeping Condé Nast at the forefront of content innovation.”

Gourmet Live is the result of a collaboration with Activate, a strategy and technology consulting company, and will be developed in HTML5 with the goal of being available across a variety of platforms and devices. It is expected to launch in the fourth quarter of 2010. It will be free to download, with registration required, followed by paid content options.

“While we believe many of the 5.5 million passionate Gourmet readers will enjoy this product, we also think a new generation of users who recognize the brand and appreciate food, social media, and excellent content will be brought to the table as well,” added Robert Sauerberg, Group President, Condé Nast Consumer Marketing. “Analytics will allow us to iterate quickly, make changes and modify business models based on consumer usage.”

The Gourmet Live app offers a clean and intuitive reading experience, realtime processing that delivers curated content based on behaviors, social connections, payment, location and more. For information and a demo visit http://live.gourmet.com.